


Take A Chance On Me

by not_worth_a_bean



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Minor Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla, Multi, lowkey Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios/Agent Kallus tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2018-05-28 14:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6332191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_worth_a_bean/pseuds/not_worth_a_bean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Hera is tired, Kallus is drunk and in pain, Zeb is just there, and it's two in the morning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take A Chance On Me

Hera had dealt with a lot of shit in her life. She had grown up on a war torn planet with the threat of slavery held over her head. She was involved with an ex-jedi, who was either never talked about his past, or was entirely too cryptic.  She had somehow become the adopted mother of a Lasat who was twenty years her elder, a teenage Mandalorian girl who liked to paint and blow things up, and an ex-street kid who would possibly become a jedi. She knew how to handle many things, but when Zeb dragged a shitfaced Agent Kallus aboard her ship when they were on some random outer rim planet, she had no idea what to say. 

“Zeb?” she asked, calmly. “What the kriff is he doing on board?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ezra peer out from his room. “And why the kriff is he on board at two in the morning.”  

The lasat shrugged, which, Hera had to admit, was pretty impressive, considering the imperial agent hanging off him. Said imperial agent laughed. “Good night, rebel scum. Me ‘n Zeb were just out, playing cards or somethin’.” 

Zeb shook his head. “I ran into him at the cantina. He threatened to shoot me, then wanted to dance. I was confused, then I saw him limping.”

Hera raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Zeb scratched his neck. “Well, I figured he must be on pain meds for his leg, pretty strong stuff too. He was in no shape to get back to whatever ship he came here on, and I didn’t want him to pass out and die.”

Ezra’s voice came out, suddenly. “Why didn’t you? It could have saved us a lot of trouble later on.”

Zeb rolled his eyes. “That’s a pretty dark side thing to say, kid.”

Hera wasn’t in the mood for any of this. “Zeb, why did you take him? You could have at least left him at the cantina for his superiors to find.” Hera wondered why Zeb honestly hadn’t killed the agent on the spot. The last time she had seen the two together, they weren’t exactly on ‘I’ll carry you around’ terms “And how did you know about his leg?”

Zeb looked around, then sighed. Hera recognized his face: guilty. He had been hiding something, and now he was caught.“Well, you remember when I was on that Genoision moon a while ago? I kind of wasn’t alone.” 

Hera groaned. “He was with you, wasn’t he?” If Zeb hadn’t killed him then, he probably wouldn’t kill him now. 

“Yeah. Saved my hide a couple times,” said Zeb. The agent picked his head up, and slammed it into Zeb’s shoulder. 

“Soft, warm,” he said. “Where’s my rock?” Then, he slumped over again. 

“Zeb, what are you doing?” asked a new voice. Sabine had woken up, and was staring bleary eyed at the scene unraveling before her. “What the hell is that doing here.”

“Pretty hair. You have pretty colors in your hair,” groaned Kallus. 

“Ah, so he’s drunk.” Sabine nodded. “That explains a lot. Like why he didn’t try shoot you. And thanks, Agent. You like it?”

Zeb groaned. “Don’t encourage him, Sabine. And technically, he’s high. Pain meds and alcohol don’t mix.” 

Sabine laughed, waking up. “So, what should we do with him. He’s completely at our mercy.” 

“We aren’t going to do anything with him,” said Hera.“We are going to pretend we didn’t see him, and send him on his way.” 

“Aw, Hera,” whined Sabine. “Let me dye his hair first. Or shave his muttonchops.” 

“No!” yelled Kallus. “Zeb, don’t let them hurt me.” The man began to stumble around, trying to get off the ship. “I don’t know where I am.” Zeb sighed. 

“You see,” he said. “He can’t go anywhere. He’ll probably get into a fight and die.” Zeb walked over to where Kallus had sat down. “Get up, Kallus.” 

“I can’t.” Zeb picked him up. Kallus squirmed, so Zeb transitioned him into a bridal carry. “Okay. Zeb?”

“What?”

“My leg hurts,” the agent said. 

Hera looked at Zeb. She couldn’t just leave the agent the way he was. Zeb would be upset. “Okay, so, here’s what we’re gonna do. We are going to treat our...guest. Zeb, you are going to keep him quiet before Kanan-” 

She was cut off by the sound of a lightsaber being ignited. “Kallus!” The previously mentioned man shrieked, and Zeb grunted. 

Hera sighed. “Calm down, Kanan. The situation is under control. Agent Kallus is a little high, and is gravely injured. Zeb and I are going to treat him, then help him find his way back to the empire.” 

“That’s gonna be a little impossible, Hera.” Hera’s lekkus swished into her face as she turned to face Zeb. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, almost daring him to speak. 

Kallus lifted his head, slowly. His eyes were a little clearer. “Zeb, put me down.” Kallus stood straight, or as straight as he could with his apparently bummed out leg. “I am a defected empire.” Apparently, he wasn't any less loopy.

Hera sighed. “I guess that’s why you were drinking. Alright. Here’s what we are going to do. I am going to treat the agent here. Then, if he’s really defected, we should take him to Fulcrum or Commander Sato. He could have some valuable intel about the empire’s next moves.”

Zeb nodded, and Kanan sighed. “I’m going back to sleep,” he said, as Zeb moved to lead Kallus to Hera. “If I can, with him on board.” 

“Goodnight, rebel scum. Oh- wait. I’m rebel scum now too.” Kallus groaned, and put his head in his hands. “I need some more to drink. Or at least some more painkillers.” 

Sabine laughed. “No, you really don’t. Not unless you want to kill yourself.” Hera coughed. 

“Sabine, go make me some kaf. I’m gonna need some,” she said. Sabine saluted, leaving Hera with the still intoxicated ex-imperial, Zeb, and Ezra. She sighed. What she did for this crew. “Ezra, go get some of the space waffles from earlier. Zeb, help me sit him down.” When he was semi-still, Hera launched into action. She had bandaged up enough wounds, physically or mentally, to know what to do. “Zeb, get me the med kit.” Ezra came running in with the plate. “Just in time. You’re gonna help me strip him.” 

“Wait, what?” Ezra spluttered. Hera laughed.

“I have to look at his leg. I’m assuming there’s a broken bone that’s rehealed. I might have to break it again. But I have to be sure. Zeb, give the man a space waffle and keep him distracted,” she said, mentally preparing herself for the job ahead of her. 

She heard Zeb tell Kallus to eat, and she began the terrifying process of removing the agent’s pants. She prayed to the goddess that he wasn’t going commando, because if there was something she really, really didn’t want to deal with, it was that. She inched his pants down, and looked up to see the man staring at her strangely. 

“You know,” he said. “I can take my own pants off. I’m surprisingly less inhibited." 

Hera wanted to kill him. “Then do it.” Kallus shrugged. He, while groaning and breathing heavily, slid the his pants the rest of the way. He was not commando. Hera studied his leg, and was unsurprised to see an uneven patch below his knee. “Yup, I’m gonna have to rebreak it, or else it will hurt for a long, long time, and lead to you not being able to walk.” Kallus just nodded. 

“Do it quick,” he groaned. “While I still have the muted pain.” Hera looked at him, shocked. 

“I was going to say we knock you out with some anesthetics.” 

Kallus sighed. “Don’t waste them on me. Get Zeb, or Jabba, I don’t know, to knock me out. Then re-break it, and send me on my-” he scowled in pain when Hera touched the bruises. “Merry way. I’ll figure something out.” 

Hera scowled. She really didn’t want to deal with any of this right then. “Listen, Agent. I’m tired, and I’m not going to re-break and set your leg when I’m tired. So, you’re going to go to bed, and I’m going to go to bed. Then, you are going to sleep off the painkillers you’re on so I can drug you without making you overdose. I will then patch you up, and send you off to debrief with Kanan, to make sure you’re telling the truth.” 

Kallus nodded, a little jerkily. Hera hoped she had scared him. “Where am I going to sleep?” 

Zeb raised his hand. “He can share with me.” 

Hera nodded. “Fine, Zeb. Make it happen. Agent, do you have any belongings with you?” 

“Zeb has them. I don’t have many. Just my bo-rifle and my rock.” 

Ezra looked back and forth between Zeb and Hera. “What about me? Where am I going to sleep? He can’t have my bunk.” 

“Calm down, Ezra. They’re going to share Zeb’s bed.” 

“Oh. Okay,” he said. “Wait, they’re gonna share?” Sabine came back in with Hera’s kaf. Hera drank it in one gulp. 

“Yes, now go. To bed, all of you.” 

“You mean I have to sleep above Zeb AND Kallus?! This is ridiculous,” whined Ezra. Sabine laughed at him, and walked into her room. 

Kallus looked up at Zeb. “Help me stand?” Zeb nodded. 

“C’mon, you lazy piece of bantha fodder,” he grunted. Stooping over, he lifted the agent back to his feet. Kallus groaned, and fell on him. Zeb guided him through the ship, dragging an unamused Ezra along with him. 

“Welcome to the rebellion, agent,” Hera said, after they had left the room. She walked back to her own bunk. Kanan would be waiting for her inside, awake and restless. He would insist on having him stay up to watch, and Hera would tell him that Zeb and Ezra could handle it. He would demand to know why Hera had let him on board, and even agreed to treat him. He had murdered an entire species of living beings. He had made life for them hell. Then, she would smile, and drag him back to bed. Because, she would say. Because the rebellion needed his intel. Because the Agent was clearly going through his own redemption arc. Because mistakes can be made. Because, she would finish, Zeb obviously likes him. Then the two of them would sleep, and Hera would wake up with the task of re-breaking someone’s leg.She pushed the door open. 

“How could you let him on board?! We have to stay up, make sure he doesn’t pull anything.” Kanan asked, predictably. Hera smiled. 

“Dear, everything is fine,” she said. “Just trust me.” She layed down, and patted next to her. “Come on, let’s just sleep. We have to blow out of here early. I have a feeling the empire’s gonna be looking for our new guest.” 

Kanan pouted, then layed down next to her. She turned the lights out, and closed her eyes. Kanan’s breathing evened out, and Hera listened to the slow, repetitive sound. She didn’t drift off though. The kaf had her wide awake, as did the thoughts about the agent. She wondered why he had finally defected, how he and Zeb had bridged the little gap of Kallus ordering the slaughter of millions of Lasats, why Kallus had a rock as one of his two possessions. Then, she fell the fuck asleep, because she had had a long day, and she knew Zeb could deal with his own shit. 

**Author's Note:**

> Don't judge me. I'll never write a chapter 2 I hate writing.


End file.
